Behaviour and health in two broiler hybrids with different growth - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Behaviour and health in two broiler hybrids with different growth rates Sofia Wilhelmsson, Petra Bruce, Anna Wallenbeck, Stefan Gunnarsson, Lotta Jönsson, Jenny Yngvesson Swedish Farmers Foundation for Agricultural Research

Production & broiler development Chicken�production�in� Sweden 120000 120000 Age-related changes in size of University of Alberta Meat Control strains unselected since 100000 100000 1957 and 1978, and Ross 308 broilers (2005). 80000 80000 60000 60000 40000 40000 20000 20000 0 0 1963 1973 1983 1993 2003 2013 Nr.� chickens� slaughtered� (1000� head) Tonnes� meat� chicken • Fivefold increase in nr. slaughtered chickens (in thousands) M. J. Zuidhof et al. Poultry Science 2014;93:2970-2982 • Sixfold increase in tonnes meat produced (Faostat, 2015)

Approx. average weight gain/ day 20  60 g • Leg problems Mortality • Metabolic diseases • Inactivity due to imbalanced bodies with large breast muscles (Muir and Aggrey, 2003, Weeks et al., 2000, Shim et al., 2012, Bessei, 2006)

Organic broiler production • Organic broiler • Longer rearing production only a period fraction • Access to • Lack of slower growing outside area hybrids • Organic feed • Welfare problems in fast growing hybrids • Rowan Ranger in the Swedish market

Aim To quantify differences in behaviour and health between two broiler hybrids with different growth rates Photo: http://en.aviagen.com/ross- Photo: http://en.aviagen.com/rowan- 308/ ranger/

Study design • • 429 chickens 20 Groups - 218 Ross 308 19- 22 chickens/ group • - 211 Rowan Ranger 10 replicates/ hybrid • Two feed treatments

Home pen • • Pens measuring Perches, cutter shavings • 1.85*1.85 m 33-23 °C • About 60% humidity

Timeline 9 weeks 6 weeks 2 weeks Day 1: Day 1: Day 1: Behavioural Behavioural Behavioural obs. obs. obs. Slaughter at Day 2: Day 2: Day 2: Day-old Welfare Quality 70 days of Welfare Quality Welfare Quality assessment chickens age assessment assessment in

Data collection • Behavioural observations - scan sampling

Data collection • Welfare Quality assessment - scoring of health & welfare indicators

Weight Higher daily weight gain and live weight at slaughter in Rowan Ranger Ross birds and Ross 308 at two weeks … Rowan P- Ross 308 Ranger value Mean weight 55.4 38.3 ** gain/ day (g) … and at about Mean LW at 3986 2817 ** nine weeks slaughter (g)

10% of Ross vs. 3% of Rowan Higher Ranger (p=0.03) mortality in culled due to Ross. leg weakness Significantly more Ross birds culled due to leg weakness

Health High proportion of Ross birds showed severe walking difficulties at nine weeks

Health Contact dermatitis more common and more severe in Ross

Behaviour Rowan Ranger birds more active at six and nine weeks

Conclusion Differences between the hybrids Welfare But.. problems in both hybrids Rowan Ranger Poorer more health active in Ross

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